Structure for building furniture

ABSTRACT

A STRUCTURE FOR BUILDING FURNITURE, COMPRISING ONE OR MORE SHEETS THAT ARE SHAPED TO FORM A CURVED PROFILE THAT MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MORE DIFFERENTLY CURVED PORTIONS AS WELL AS STRAIGHT PORTIONS, AND END-MOUNTED ON REINFORCING MEMBERS THAT CONSTITUTE ALSO THE SUPPORTING ELEMENTS OF THE PIECE OF FURNITURE, WHILE THE STRINGER MEMBERS ARE PROVIDES AS AUXILIARY STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.

March 13, 1973 J. B. UTHURRIAGUE STRUCTURE FOR BUILDING FURNITURE Filed Sept. 24. 1970 II II J- IIIIIIIIII/(I m Tum B. U

United States Patent 3,720,444 STRUCTURE FOR BUILDING FURNITURE Juan B. Uthurriague, Calle 55, N 1036, La Plata, Argentina Filed Sept. 24, 1970, Ser. No. 75,000 Claims priority, applicaztizonszgsgentina, Sept. 26, 1969,

Int. (:1. A47c15/00, 31/00 US. Cl. 297-463 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a new and useful structure for building furniture. Its assembly is very simple and easy to perform, and allows for the obtention of diverse types and styles of furniture, including the most modern and advanced forms as well as classic ones.

Limited elements only are required for the manufacture of the invention and a simple assembly operation. This leads to a reduced cost of the final product seeing that it necessitates less material and labor. Furthermore, the material to be used can be prepared beforehand and then line-assembled, which procedure logically reduces costs still further. The products obtained will be lighter than conventional ones as they carry less material.

It is not the intention to make an unfavorable comparison with conventional furniture structures, assembled by means of grooves and tongues, sockets and tenons or dovetails. Nevertheless, they are only covered frameworks or skeletons. They need a great amount of labour and work as well as a special dedication for each unit, all of which undoubtedly leads to the use of more material and rises the cost of the finished article, as well as its weight.

The present invention does not need high cost materials for the piece of furniture obtained with it to have a long life, as the latter does not depend on the quality of the starting materials but rather on the structure itself, which allows for really solid and lasting forms to be obtained.

The novelty of the invention can be briefly described as comprising one or more sheets that are shaped to form a curved profile that may include one or more differently curved portions as well as straight portions. These curved and straight portions can take the shape of, for example, the letters I, C, S, O, U and can also represent a spiral, a circumference, an oval, etc.

In order for the invention to be more clearly understood, it will be hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, Where:

FIG. '1 is a section of a structure along the line AA of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure,

FIG. 3 is a section along the line BB of FIG. 2,

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show sectional view of several embodiments of the invention.

In all 'these figures the same reference numbers indicate identical or corresponding parts, to those shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

FIG. 4 shows a cabinet, FIG. 5 is an easy chair, FIG. 6 a footstool while FIG. 7 shows a drawer of a wardrobe.

Referring to the drawings, the structure of the invention 3,720,444 Patented Mar. 13, 1973 comprises: a plane and undulated surface, the shape of which is defined by one or more sheets 1 of resistant material, extended and following the same surface, the curved portions 2 of which are adapted to the needs of a furniture unit to be obtained, said shaped portions constituting reinforcing means.

Each sheet 1 can be unitary or laminated, such as laminated Wood or similar. The surface of said one or more sheets 1 forms the walls, ceilings, floors, seats, backings or any other component of the furniture unit that said sheets 1 are able to define, such as cabinets, wardrobes, dressers, chairs, easy chairs and any other kind of piece of furniture using this structure. Two or more, as needs may be, reinforcing members 3 of rigid material are end-placed in close contact and rigidly related to the sheets 1 to define a frame while simultaneously constituting the supports or legs of chairs, stools, easy chairs, the walls of cabinets, wardrobes, dressers or any component of a piece of furniture the peculiar shape of said reinforcing member 3 are able to conform, the basic structure of a piece of furniture being defined by the combination of sheets 1 and reinforcing members 3.

Furthermore, one or more stringer members 4 may be provided parallel to the curved portions 2 and rigidly connected to the reinforcing members 3, as auxiliary structural elements. The sheets, reinforcing members and stringer members may be attached to one another by means of sizes, screws, rivets or any other suitable attachment means.

It is to be understood that the present invention becomes in no way limited to the embodiments shown and described, but that different modifications in shape and/ or detail can be introduced and be well within the scope of the invention, as expressed in the claims hereafter.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture, comprising in combination structural support means including at least two substantially vertically oriented panels of rigid material horizontally spaced from each other and each having a major surface facing the other panel; a one-piece continuous spanning member of rigid material extending between said panels and having respective marginal portions each associated with one of said panels, said spanning member being of at least partially arcuate contour in a crosssectional plane intermediate the panels; and continuous grooves provided in said major surfaces and rigidly accommodating said respective marginal portions, said grooves having a contour substantially identical to said at least partially arcuate contour.

2. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein the spanning member is rigidly connected to the panels by means of screws.

3. An article as defined in claim 1, wherein the spanning member is rigidly connected to the panels by means of rivets.

4. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, and further including at least one substantially bar-shaped reinforcing member connected at its ends to said panels.

5. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, said spanning member having a substantially J-shaped contour in a cross-sectional plane intermediate the panels.

6. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, said spanning member having a substantially C-shaped contour in a cross-sectional plane intermediate the panels.

7. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, said spanning member having a substantially S-shaped contour in a cross-sectional plane intermediate the panels.

8. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, said spanning member having a substantially O-shaped contour in a cross-sectional plane intermediate the panels.

9. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, where- 3 in said spanning member has a substantially U-shaped contour in a cross-sectional plane intermediate the panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Creutz 297463 Schaffer 297457 X Rubenstein 161161 Breuer 297-445 X Dolby 297 440 X Seiter 297--440 

